The present invention relates to a top-loading horizontal axis automatic washer having a tub with an opening and a rotatable basket disposed within the tub, the basket having door flaps, and more particularly, to a system for automatically opening the basket door flaps when access to the interior of the wash basket is desired.
Typically, horizontal axis automatic washers employ either a front loading or a top loading configuration for receiving clothes items to be washed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,197,980 to Marple, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, shows a typical front loading horizontal washer wherein the horizontal wash basket is accessed through one of the vertical end walls of the horizontal basket and the front surface of the washer enclosure.
The preference of many consumers, however, particularly those in the U.S., is for top loading washers. Existing top loading horizontal axis washers, however, have some drawbacks. In the typical top-loading horizontal washer, the rotatable wash basket must be manually positioned by the user for alignment with a tub opening and must be manually opened for accessing the interior of the wash basket. U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,542 illustrates such a washer wherein no automatic wash basket positioning system is provided and the basket doors must be opened manually.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,712 discloses a top-loading horizontal washing machine having a system for locking a rotatable basket in an upright position responsive to opening a cabinet lid of the washer. In this fashion, the basket is automatically positioned for loading and unloading when the cabinet lid is opened. However, once the basket is positioned, the basket doors must be opened manually.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,280,603 discloses an automatic washer having a rotatable basket disposed within a tub wherein both the basket and the tub are provided with sliding doors. For opening the tub door, a solenoid driven connection or the like between the tub door and the rotating drum is effected wherein the rotation of the drum opens the tub door. To open the basket door, a coupling of similar construction is made between the basket door and the tub wherein rotation of the drum opens the basket door. To close the respective tub and basket doors, similar couplings are made and the above-described motional actions occur in reverse order. In this fashion, a system for automatically opening sliding basket doors is provided.
The above described basket door opening system, however, contains many disadvantages. Chief among them is the relatively high cost and high degree of complexity. Also, due the required motor operations, there will be an undesirable delay during the basket door opening procedure. Further, this type of system requires extensive pneumatic or electrical systems. Finally, this type of system is only useful for sliding basket doors, whereas the common automatic basket door is hinged along an edge of a basket opening. There is no prior art of which the applicant is aware, which discloses a system for automatically opening hinged basket doors disposed on a rotatable wash basket.
There exist, therefore, a need for a system for automatically opening hinged basket doors provided on a wash basket of a top loading horizontal axis washer. Further, there exists a need for a relatively low cost and simple system for opening the basket doors of an automatic washer.